Wednesday, July 6, 2011 1:25:04 PM Etc/GMT+5

It may seem obvious, but the opportunity to build your own home has never been more profitable. And if you are looking to use a custom home plan, then it makes even more sense to jump on the chance to build that dream house you’ve always wanted. Consider the following when deciding on whether to build or wait:

* You’ve probably heard it a million times, but interest rates are the lowest they’ve ever been. And not just compared to 20 years ago--even within the last 12 months, 15-year mortgage rates have dropped below what was thought to be the bottom of the rate plunge.

* Materials costs fluctuate dramatically. For example: lumber costs are on the rise since they bottomed out in 2009, but are lower now than they’ve been all year. Even if you can’t take advantage of the immediate savings, the actual cost of building a house is on the incline, so the